utter



(No Model.) l

J. W. UTTER.

BEDGLOTHES CLAMP. No. 557,456. Patented Mar. 3l, 1896.

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@www AN DREW E GRAHAM. PHOTUUTHWASHINGTOKD C UNITED STATES -PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES IV. UTTER, OF ORANGE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HOWARD S. ABBOT, OF SAME PLACE.

BEDcLoTH E's-CLAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,456, dated March 31, 1896.

Application led March 1 9, 1 8 94.

To a/ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES IV. UTTER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Orange, in the county of Orange and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bedclothes-Olamps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in bedclothes-clamps in which the clamp is adj ustable and elastic in its attachment to the bed-frame and bedclothes, and the object of my improvement is to securely hold the bedclothes in their proper place upon a restless invalid or child, thus relieving the necessity for the continuous presence and 'care of a nurse or the anxiety of a parent; and it consists more particularly in the construction of details and operation of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, in which similar letters indicate similar parts throughout the several views, Figure l is a plan view showing the clamp secured to the bedclothes. Fig. 2 is a side elevation lwith the bedclothes removed and a part of the plate A broken away, so as to expose the slot D. Fig. 3 shows detached parts.

A represents a plate provided at its outer end with a knob B having a projecting rim C. The opposite or inner end is constructed with a slot D, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The plate A may be made of any suitable material, but I prefer wood, wood iiber, celluloid, or other similar material to metal, as they are more agreeable to the touch of delicate persons, particularly in cold weather.

The loop E is constructed as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The outer end of the loop is wide enough to iit snugly around the body of the knob B beneath the rim C, and as the sides approach the center at F they diverge enough to permit the loop to pass freely over the top of the knob B with several thicknesses of bedclothin g upon it. From the center F the Serial No. 504,354. (No model.)

sides of the loop converge as the37 approach the common point G, thence they diverge at right angles and extend for a suitable distance, forming one side of a loop H about the length of the width of the center at F, then approaching each other by means-of curves and a straight line they form the opposite side of the loop.

I may make the loop E of any suitable form, of metal or other material, stamping it out in one endless piece; but I prefer to use wire, about No. l2 commercial standard, which gives about the desired degree of elasticity that permit-s of the springing of the loop over the top of the knob with the varying thickness of bedclothes liable to be used.

The loop F. should extend from around the knob B to near the opposite end of the plate A, so that the outer side ot the loop Il may reach to about the center of the slot D.

Through the slot D and loop I-I an elastic strap I is passed. Both ends of this strap are then passed through a flat close-iitting band K. The strap I should be provided at'one end with a buckle f or receiving the opposite end, and should be long enough to extend from the clothes to that part of the bed or crib to which it is desired to fasten the clamp.

To use my invention, I slip the band K back from the plate A, throw back the loop F., pass the edges of one or two of the articles of bedy clothes immediately over the person in the bed or crib over the knob B, throw the loop F. forward, and, passing the center down over the bedclothes and knob, draw the loop backward, bringing the outer end under the rim O of the knob, holding the bedclothes snugly into the body of the knob beneath the rim, then draw the strap tight and slipthe. band K along the strap I close up to the plate A. This will hold the loop in place and keep firm hold of the bedclothes by the constant pressure of the elastic strap.

The thickness of the bedclothes gathered around the knob will hold the loop E forward sufficient to bring the loop H in advance of slot D, thus throwing the draft from the plate to the loop. This effectually holds it to its place and increases its hold upon the application of any strain.

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Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and as of my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent-m As an improved article of manufacture, the bedolothes-olamp composed of the plate having a knob, and provided with a slot, and the loop embracing the knob and held to the plate by an elastic strap passing through the loop and the slot, and having a close-itting sliding band pressed down to the plate thereby 1o holdinfar the loop tight against the clothes on the knob as shown and described.

JAMES XV. UTTER. Vit-nesses:

XV. H. PFEIFER, W. H. H. CLAYTON. 

